On this encore episode, I sit down with a colleague from back in my work on the brand side, Craig Baxter, Group President of Techtronic Industries Canada Inc., part of a global 13 billion dollar powerhouse tool house of brands that includes Milwaukee, Ryobi, and Hoover. In a wide-ranging and engaging conversation, Craig talks about radical innovation, retail go-to-market strategy, leadership for growth, and the epic come-from-behind marketplace win for his Milwaukee brand of power tools as the sixth horse in a five-horse race.
In this compelling encore episode of The Voice of Retail, I reconnect with Craig Baxter, Group President of Techtronic Industries Canada Inc., a division of the $13.7 billion global manufacturing giant known for its market-leading brands including Milwaukee, RYOBI, Hoover, and Dirt Devil. Our conversation spans decades of experience, lessons learned, and the cutting-edge strategies Craig and his team are deploying to dominate the power tools and home improvement space.
Craig shares his fascinating career journey—from launching his marketing career at Kraft General Foods, to disrupting the power tools industry during his tenure at Black & Decker, and now leading explosive growth at TTI. We explore the epic rise of the Milwaukee brand, which went from an underdog in a five-horse race to the global leader in cordless power tools. Craig details how a bold bet on lithium-ion battery technology gave Milwaukee an edge, along with deep end-user insights and relentless product innovation.
We also dive into TTI’s unique go-to-market strategy. Craig explains why the company eschews direct-to-consumer sales in favor of exclusive partnerships—like the long-standing relationship with Home Depot that anchors RYOBI’s retail presence. TTI’s model emphasizes focused distribution, a people-intensive field marketing approach, and high-touch engagement with tradespeople, from contractors to electricians.
In the leadership segment, Craig opens up about what it takes to build and lead high-performing teams. He advocates for setting audacious goals, inspiring rather than managing, and creating an environment where great people can thrive. He also warns against weak leadership practices like cheerleading poor performance or tolerating mediocrity. Craig’s philosophy: talk last, listen deeply, and never underestimate the power of human capital.
Whether you’re a retail strategist, brand marketer, aspiring leader, or power tool enthusiast, this episode offers valuable lessons on market disruption, innovation, and purpose-driven leadership.
About Craig
Sixteen years ago, I was given the opportunity to become the president of TTi Canada; a world class leader in design, manufacturing, and marketing of power tools and accessories, outdoor product equipment and floor care for consumers, professional and industrial users in the home improvement, repair, and construction industries.
Since then, I have had the privilege of working alongside a team of outstanding performers who share the same belief in setting audacious goals and holding ourselves accountable to deliver those goals while continuing to cultivate a best in class working environment.
Along with our unrelenting strategic focus on powerful brands, innovative products, operational excellence, and exceptional people, we strive to continuously build upon a corporate culture where our employees can realize more and more of their abundant potential.
What inspires me, is seeing people striving to do great work and growing into the best version of themselves. By continuously improving our culture through all of our success we have further leveraged our biggest differentiator as a company, and that is something I am very proud of.
“Show class, have pride, and display character. And if you do, winning takes care of itself” – Bear Bryant